Irrigation systems for use in orchards have been designed whereby flow tubing is positioned along crops planted in rows and means are provided to divert flow via take-off tubing to individual plants or trees. In one embodiment, each plant is supplied with a stake that supports the take-off tubing, flow valve, and flow adapter to determine the flow pattern.
The flow adapter may be changed depending on the particular needs of the grower. For instance, a 360.degree. misting may be desired, or perhaps just a small angle of flow might be preferable in a given situation. These flow patterns are determined by the shape and configuration of the adapter.
Previous systems have enabled adapters to be changed via threaded connections to the take-off tubing. This, however, can be cumbersome and slow, since a significant amount of time is required to remove one adapter and replace it with a new one. When multiplied over the number of plants or trees in an orchard, this may represent a sizeable investment in time and labor.